Education

Linda Thompson Memorial Scholarship

Deadline for 2019 Scholarship 1 December 2018

Applications will be accepted from individuals who are preparing for a career in destination management. The length of the program may be one year or longer. Two scholarships may be awarded: one to a North American student and one to a global student.

To submit your scholarship application, please complete the 2019 Linda Thompson Scholarship Application. You will need to have a letter of recommendation either by a college/university professor or a professional in the meetings industry. This letter of recommendation should verify your:

Commitment and ability to complete the educational program

Experience in the event management industry, whether volunteer or paid

Aptitude to deal with the demands of the destination management profession.

The applicant should include a statement of at least 250 words that describes interest in the event management industry/ destination management profession and how you would benefit from the scholarship. All documents should be in English, please.

Applications will be reviewed by a committee of destination management professionals. The decision will be made prior to the ADMEI Annual Conference and announced there. The 2019 conference will be held in Houston, TX USA. The scholarship winner need not be present to accept the scholarship.

Application submission should be made electronically. The application form is savable in Acrobat Reader. Please include your last name in the file name and send the application, letter of recommendation and any other supporting documentation in one email addressed to admei@admei.org.

2017 Linda Thompson Memorial Scholars

2017 Linda Thompson Memorial Scholars

Daniel McMillan honed his interest in event planning by helping to plan his aunt’s wedding. One year later, at age 36, his aunt died. The last thing she told Daniel was that nothing could stop him from chasing his dreams, no matter how many barriers he had to break down to get there.

Daniel is on the Dean’s List while working full time and yet finds time to work with non-profit organizations. In his position on the steering committee he has held key positions in planning 8 conference with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, with 2,000 – 20,000 international attendees. Daniel’s participation in DECA landed him first place in his public relations project in which he created a nationwide campaign for youth obesity where he partnered with YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs and Planet Fitness to start healthy eating and workouts for youth ages 8-14.

2016 Linda Thompson Memorial Scholars

Khanh Pham

This year's international winner is Ms. Khanh Pham, graduate student, Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Pham Khanh earned her BA from the National University of Vietnam and began to work in the Vietnamese tourism industry. In the three years she worked for XO Tours it experienced rapid growth, expanding its staff from 30 to 80 and she was instrumental in its earning #1 ranking on Tripadvisor out of a field of 200 competitors. Her goal is to return to Vietnam to make a positive impact on tourism, helping it to become the top tourist destination in Southeast Asia.

Christine Wilson

This year’s North American winner is Christine Wilson, CTA, senior at Michigan State University, where she will earn a BA in Hospitality Business. She is Vice President of the PCMA student chapter. She became a Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) for the Greater Lansing Area, Michigan, which opened her eyes to the area’s incredible potential and hidden treasures.

2015 Linda Thompson Memorial Scholars

Daniella Andrea Hoar

The 2015 North American winner is Daniella Andrea Hoar, senior at Florida State University, where she will earn a BS degree in Hospitality-Recreation, Tourism and Events with a minor in Portuguese. She has interned with Springtime Tallahassee as Jubilee Coordinator and with Visit Florida as an Industry Relations intern. She plans to work with a DMC in Florida after graduation, using her Portuguese to work with groups from Brazil.

Ms. Debora Mathis

The 2015 international winner is , graduate student, Events and Hospitality Management, George Washington University. Debora Mathis joined Global Brigades, a non-profit organization, as an undergraduate and successfully raised $40,000+ to build a water tank in Ghana. She traveled from Switzerland to get her graduate degree at GWU so that she can help non-profits raise funds for their important work.

2014 Linda Thompson Memorial Scholars

Ms. Chang Guan

Ms. Chang is a graduate student, Manfred Steinfeld School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Roosevelt University, Chicago IL. Chang Guan is originally from Beijing, China and plans to return to open up a DMC to support the Zhong Guan Cun National Information Technology Park Network (ZGC), a network of 16 IT industrial parks in Beijing where thousands of Chinese IT corporations locate.

Clare Luscinskas

Clare Luscinskas is a senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she will earn a BS degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management with a minor in French Studies. After graduation, she intends to use both her hospitality and international experience to become a leader in the field.

2013 Linda Thompson Memorial Scholars

Amanda Johnson

Amanda Johnson was a sophomore in University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) majoring in Hospitality Management. Being the first Linda Thompson Memorial Scholar has made a significant difference in many ways to my academic career. First, I identified an amazing role model in Linda, her innovation in the hospitality management industry, her devotion to the destination management industry, and her passion for continuing education and certifications. Second, in my UNLV Meeting and Convention Management class last spring, I was able to apply Linda’s professional standards and green initiatives to the class’s hands-on projects to write proposals for meeting space and plan events. Third, while working at the beautiful Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes, CA this summer, I carried her drive for complete guest satisfaction. Furthermore, I have connected with a vital industry association in my Hospitality Management profession. Overall, Linda Thompson Memorial Scholar means much more than a monetary scholarship, it means integrity, recognition and dedication to the destination management and hospitality management industry.